


The Tale of Vera Galloway

by CrimsonSiren



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Captain Pipes, Character Death, Childhood Trauma, Clones, Depression, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Family, Found Family, Hope, Nightshade Squad, Order 66 (Star Wars), Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Physical Abuse, Pong Krell Being an Asshole, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-Umbara Arc (Star Wars), Pre-Order 66 (Star Wars), Pre-Umbara Arc (Star Wars: Clone Wars), Psychological Trauma, Suicide Attempt, TikTok, Vera Galloway, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-11 23:28:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28875702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrimsonSiren/pseuds/CrimsonSiren
Summary: Hello there! If you're from my TikTok, glad you could make it! If you're stumbling on my story by chance, welcome! Vera's story is going to be a long one, and I tend to be a perfectionist when it comes to writing, so don't expect frequent updates (I do have a life).If you don't already, head on over to either my TikTok or YouTube channel (@shayla_ct0407 for both) to watch Vera's story unfold in video form (Tiktok is where I update her story more frequently and YouTube is where you can watch her different arcs in one full video).Thank you for reading and may the Force be with you xx
Relationships: Family - Relationship, Friendship - Relationship, platonic - Relationship
Comments: 1
Kudos: 4





	The Tale of Vera Galloway

The future hope of the Galaxy is as young as 4-years old.

Children who are force-sensitive and are taken in by the Jedi are promised a future where they will bring peace to the Galaxy, as far as the Outer Rim, and some say beyond. Visions of grandeur are planted in their heads as if one day, they can bring freedom and serenity amongst the Galaxy as part of the Jedi order.

One such youngling was Vera Galloway.

Brought before the Jedi Council from her home planet of Chandrilla, Kit Fisto found her and sensed her connection to the Force. Leaving what little she had known of her home planet, Vera was trained and raised in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant and was known as bright and bubbly amongst her peers. Vera was a friendly person, making attempts to be kind to everyone she could and being there for those who needed it. She wanted to be a great Jedi one day, and, hopefully, one of the best; wanting to bring peace and justice wherever she could.

By the time of the Padawan Trials at age thirteen, Vera had thrown herself into studying as much as she possibly could. Many late nights were spent in the archives reading on everything she could to pass the trials, and she learnt much more than what was needed. Vera would also be found practice sparring with other Initiates in hopes of refining their skills and abilities by the time of the third Trial. Between meditation, studying, and sparring, Vera had managed to keep a level head and worked hard to make sure she would succeed the Trails.

Trail one was a test of knowledge. Vera knew the Jedi code and could recite it in her sleep. She had meditated continuously on it and burned it into her memory. After all, what is a Jedi without their code? Following with the second Trial, Initiates were sent on an off-world mission to Ilum to test their power of will in hopes of retrieving one of the most vital possession a Jedi could own; a kyber crystal. Vera had managed to acquire a cyan crystal which she fashioned into her own lightsaber. A silver hilt made of songsteel that felt both heavy, yet light, in her palm, balanced perfectly and would be the most prized item for most of her life. When it came time for the third task, an Initiate would have to prove their strength within the Force and their control amongst it. Vera was tasked to mediate to show her connection as she kept herself grounded and focused and proved her worth. Fortunately, Vera passed with flying colours, and it allowed her to be considered in the annual Apprentice Tournament.

The Tournament was the last and final Trail where Jedi from across the Galaxy gathered at the Temple to determine which of the potential new Initiates would be taken in as a Padawan and to further their training. Some Initiates would be lucky enough to have been chosen by a Jedi Knight or Master who took notice of their abilities and took them under their care. Others who weren’t fortunate enough to succeed were ordered by the Council of Reassignment to be sent to the Jedi Service Corps and discontinue their training with the Force, though still considered members of the Order. It was either that or to leave the Jedi Order in its entirety.

Vera was up against the same Initiates whom she had been training with her whole life up until that point. They were each aware of the others fighting styles and tactics, but in the arena, all bets were off, and they hadn't made use of their Force abilities in battle before. Vera finished with this new advantage as one of the top eight, placing sixth on the leaderboard. It was a remarkable feat to accomplish in itself, but now all that was left was to do was wait and be accepted as a Padawan.

The truth of the matter was that Vera _did_ get selected by a Master, and she could not have been happier. It meant she had passed the Trials and was officially on her way to becoming a fully-fledged Jedi and a step closer to creating peace across the Galaxy. In her mind, Vera pictured her Master to be someone she could learn a lot from, inspire her to be greater, and push herself across the boundaries of what she could accomplish. She wanted a Master that she could grow beyond with their teachings.

And she was sure that Jedi Master Pong Krell could give her that.

She learnt quickly that that was not the case.

Master Krell was a tough teacher. Strict, firm, and in some cases, harsh. Vera did her best in her training sessions, but nothing ever proved to reach his standards. She would push her body to its limits and keep pushing until she was going to pass out, and it still was never enough.

_I need to be better._

"Sloppy."

Vera had slipped when deflecting a stun bolt from a training droid as Master Krell had not yet claimed her worthy enough to train against him. Vera panted and breathed heavily as she resumed her beginning fight stance and prepared for another round.

"Apologies, Master."

"Do not be sorry. Be better."

_I need to be better._

In her studies, Master Krell never lost his ridged aura and tone. He refused to have any talking during his teachings.

"Do not speak unless spoken to."

If Vera were to want to ask a question, he would shun her for speaking out of line and scold her. Silence is a virtue, he would say. And so Vera remained quiet and submissive, learning to keep to her herself.

_I need to be better._

She would sometimes run into old friends from her Initiate days in the Temple, and she could see how happy they were.

"Vera!" Qita Y'ue, Master Plo Koon's new padawan, bounded over to her. "How's training?"

She'd smiled. "It's going great so far! Master Krell is—"

"Padawan, you are late for training." Her Master's booming voice made her jump from the other end of the hallway. "No excuses. Hurry up."

Vera shrugged at Qita. "Sorry. Maybe another time."

_I need to be better._

And so it was. A repeated cycle of endless training, silence, and further distancing herself from the other padawans and external contact, because if she was ever going to live up to her Master's standards, Vera would have to train continuously. Even so, she knew it would never be good enough for him. She knew she could be better, so why did she keep failing?

_Ridiculous._

_Pathetic._

_A waster of time._

_Be better._

Everything felt like a blur: training, meditation, training, eating (sometimes), and more training. Vera could feel herself burning out, but she had to keep going.

_I **need** to be better._

She surprised herself when she woke up in the infirmary one day with an IV drip in her arm and a medical droid hovering around her.

"You should be more careful, you know," its robotic voice said. "You need to keep your nutrients and hydration levels up above 75%; otherwise, something worse could have happened if Master Krell wasn't there. You're lucky to have him, you know."

Vera just smiled weakly and nodded in response, too exhausted and drained to reply.

Yeah. Lucky.

Vera _was_ lucky in the sense that Master Krell had relented a bit on the physical aspect of her training as she recovered, but it was still just as harsh verbally, which she took to heart too often.

_I shouldn’t think badly of him. He's my Master, and that means he knows what's best. His words may hurt, but they’re encouragement in their own way. I need to not be so sensitive._

But one day she stepped out of line.

"The Jedi are Peacekeepers of the Galaxy. We must bring balance, security, and justice to those who cannot afford it themselves.

The diagram he showed on the holomap highlighted all of the Galaxy's known parts, minus the Outer Rim. Vera’s eyebrows furrowed, and her mouth moved faster than her brain.

"But Master, what about—"

A searing pain struck her left cheek as she stumbled from the impact. A ringing sounded in her ear and in her shock, Vera gingerly touched her now reddening cheek as she turned to look at her Master who had one of his four arms raised.

"How many times must you be told?! Do _not_ speak to me unless I permit you."

Vera's eyes burned as tears threatened to fall. She quickly wiped them away as her bottom lip quivered.

"Do not be so pathetic as to cry. Only the weak cry and I would hate to see all of my training gone to waste." He mumbled under his breath. "As if it already hasn't."

Vera nodded and stood to attention, her cheek burning as it stung.

"Yes, Master. Sorry, Master."

Krell said nothing but rolled his eyes, continuing with the lesson as if nothing had happened. He wasn't wrong. Vera had disobeyed direct orders and spoke without first being prompted. This _was_ all her fault.

Was it?

No. No Master should ever intentionally hurt their padawans, and Vera was sure of that. But would anyone believe her? Krell was well-respected amongst the Jedi, and Vera was a mere padawan; a child. And who were the adults to believe? Still, she had to try.

Surely someone, anyone, would listen.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there! If you're from my TikTok, glad you could make it! If you're stumbling on my story by chance, welcome! Vera's story is going to be a long one, and I tend to be a perfectionist when it comes to writing, so don't expect frequent updates (I do have a life).  
> If you don't already, head on over to either my TikTok or YouTube channel (@shayla_ct0407 for both) to watch Vera's story unfold in video form (Tiktok is where I update her story more frequently and YouTube is where you can watch her different arcs in one full video).  
> Thank you for reading and may the Force be with you xx


End file.
